The invention relates to a pointer instrument, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a pointer drive for the deflection of a carrier body which can be rotated about an axis of rotation and on which is provided a pointer which is visible in an indication and is mounted outside the axis of rotation.
In pointer instruments of this type, the pointer is typically illuminated to ensure a problem-free reading even with diminishing light at twilight or at night. The arrangement of the pointer at a carrier body furthermore affords the advantage of being able to configure the carrier body in the form of a ring, for example, and in this way, given corresponding mounting, to keep the central region of the ring free from components of the pointer device. For illuminating the pointer, a luminous means that is carried along with the pointer is usually provided in this case, the luminous means regularly being supplied with the required voltage via a flexible line. Particularly in the case of the design as a ring pointer, use is made here at least in part of the particular advantage of the free central region of the pointer instrument. Since a large region is swept over by the flexible line at least on a side of an indication area—embodied as a dial for example—which is remote from the observer, and the region thus has to be kept free of other components, the advantage of the smaller structural space is partly used up. Furthermore, the structural depth of the carrier body is increased at least in sections on account of the required precautions for the active illumination, so that structural space restrictions in the region of the movement path of the pointer are added as a further disadvantage.
An example of an arrangement as described in the above background is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,663.